Portrait of a Dreamer
by 18204
Summary: Dreams will be the death of us all. This is the prologue to a longer story that I have already written. Hopefully, more is to come in the future. Rating will go up if more is posted.
1. Prologue

**AN: Finally, after TOO long, I've posted my first AiW thing. It's the prologue to a much longer story in which I paint a darker picture of the Wonderland shown in the 1951 Disney film. I may post more of the story if this gets any recognition.**

"Portrait of a Dreamer"

She was a child, pure and simple. Gazing at the white-speckled field and bright green hills that beckoned to her, she envisioned a world of her very own. In that world, there would be no lessons to learn, no rules to follow, no strict schedules to adhere to. Even the most basic laws of logic would come undone. In a world of her own, she would be free to be the girl that she was rather than the woman that she was expected to be.

For the time being, that world was confined to her imagination. Though others thought it impossible, she longed to bring that world to life by some means. She desired an escape from reality, a vacation in a paradise of her own creation. In visiting this world of hers, she would finally be able to attain the freedom that she had been craving since her earliest moment.

 _Freedom._

Was it really that simple? Could she really acquire the key to her happiness just by closing her eyes?

Whatever the answer was, she was determined to find it out.

She entrusted her body to the sun-kissed arms of the towering oak tree and closed her eyes. All that she needed was a little patience, and her long-enduring dream would materialize before her very eyes.

Surely it would be everything that she'd ever wanted.

 _Wouldn't it?_


	2. The Beginning of the End

**Part I.**  
 **The Beginning of the End.**

Only moments ago, the wind had been so sweet and warm. Nothing more than a gentle breeze, it had lovingly caressed her young skin, reminding her that such small comforts still existed in her terribly flawed world. Though she found herself trembling and afraid, she still found solace in that kind embrace.

In that precise instant, as she stood before a jury of the clinically insane, she felt nothing but cold.

"You." Dark, beady eyes glared down at her from their false position of authority. "You were the first."

All around her, formerly petrified citizens eagerly looked on. For them, this event was history in the making, solid proof that the Queen's realm was not without its weaknesses. There was a way out. There was a world beyond the bleakness of W7. There was hope, and its face was that of the blonde-haired, blue-eyed heroine at the stand. She could set them free from their living nightmare. She could restore light to their meaningless lives.

But would she?

"First..." The girl's forehead wrinkled with confusion. "I- I'm sorry, the first of what?"

"You're from the outside, aren't you?!" the Queen barked, slamming her meaty fist down on the table that laid before her. "You are from the other world. You are not of our blood."

Fear for her life instantly deepened. "Well- I-I-"

"Silence!"

As the Queen brought the gavel down on the wooden surface, all that the girl could see was the ax swinging down on her neck.

"Because you are the first of your kind to venture beyond the boundary, your punishment shall be especially severe." The Queen sat back in her sleek wooden chair, touching her fingertips together as she observed her victim's increased nervousness. "Death is a guarantee, of course. But how you are to die... hmm..."

Out of nowhere, fear changed to unrestrained, fiery anger. "Enough of this!" the defendant cried, stuffing her mouth with courage. "Who do you think you are, sentencing me to death when I haven't done a thing wrong? Why, you're not a Queen at all: you're a fat, pompous, bad-tempered old tyrant!"

The minute that the words left her mouth, she could feel the desired effect fading away, awakening to her to what she had done. Rage and satisfaction blended together in the Queen's eyes, finally tumbling out in the form of a single command:

"OFF WITH HER HEAD!"


	3. Part 1

**AN: I'm aware that this section is disproportionately longer than the others that I've already posted, but it's the first real chapter, so it has to be long.**

Part I

~Location Unknown~

~May 28, ?~

Hot tears streaked the young girl's cheeks as she sprinted through stretches of unfamiliar forest. Looking back for a split second to ensure that none of their soldiers were still pursuing her, she stopped briefly to catch her breath. Her hand rested upon the flat, smooth bark of the odd-looking purple tree that she had stopped next to. A bright pink leaf with tiny orange vines running across its surface like veins gently floated down from the tree and planted itself in her tangled blonde ringlets. She brushed it away as swiftly as it had fallen, closing her eyes for a moment to let the sheer reality of it all sink in.

It had been something of a miracle that she had escaped them, especially since they'd had such a tight hold on her once they'd captured her. She's been locked in that white-walled room of death for what seemed like hours, staring at the ceiling and trying her hardest to think of a possible way out. Eventually, she grew so desperate to escape that she had bolted for the exit the minute her door was opened. She had never run so fast in her life.

Having escaped from the building only minutes ago, she stood in the woods, struggling to catch her breath, waiting for the perfect idea to come to her. She'd ended up in this world completely by accident. She didn't even have a clue as to how she'd landed here in the first place, but she was determined to make it out, and make it out alive.

The angered shouts of those who were chasing her rang in her ears, sending a shiver down her spine, and instinctively she ducked behind the tree, holding her breath and praying that they wouldn't find and recapture her.

Luckily for her, their shouts seemed to getting farther and farther from where she stood. At last she breathed a sigh of relief, but this relief was only temporary. Now, she found herself facing an entirely different problem.

"Oh, dear," she said to no one in particular. "Now how am I going to get home? I don't- I don't even know where I am!"

She took a few steps backwards, taking some extra time to ensure that the enforcers were no longer chasing after her. Once she was positive that she was all alone in this area, she turned around fully and began walking back, towards the place that she had come from. She was hoping that by retracing her steps, she would be able to find her way out of this place, and she would find her way home at last.

The sun was already beginning to set in the late-afternoon sky, which was a breathtaking mixture of ruby, orange, and yellow. If her mind hadn't been occupied with other things, she might have stopped to enjoy it. Instead, she only took a quick glance at the setting sun and increased the pace at which she walked. Would she get home in time for supper? Would she get home at all?

Deciding to shake away the thought of being trapped here forever, she switched her mind back to the topic of getting home. That was all that she had to focus on, getting home.

Minutes passed, and she kept on walking back in the direction of the large white-bricked building that she had been inside earlier. She noticed the far-away shape of the building, and nearly shuddered in fear. That was the place where she had narrowly escaped becoming one of the citizens of this world. She kept herself on constant alert, looking out for anything too out of the ordinary or any sign that anyone was following her. Every now and then, she would look behind her to make sure that she wasn't being chased by the enforcers again, but she was always alone.

And then she heard the voice call out to her from the darkness of the woods. "Alice," the voice whispered. "Alice, come here."

She ignored the voice, as she had done with the many other strange voices that had called out to her during her time here, and continued walking back. Inside, she couldn't help but hope that she wasn't being stalked by a spy for the government or a card soldier.

The voice persisted. "Alice, please listen to me. I can help you get back home."

Those last few words captured her attention immediately, prompting her to turn around and face the section of the woods from where the voice appeared to be coming.

"What do you mean?" she asked the mysterious voice, making sure to keep her own voice quiet. "You know how to get back to Earth?"

"Yeah, I do. I used to live there, actually."

"Really?" She was intrigued. "Where did you live?"

"I was born in New York City, but when I found the portal to this place, I was living in Los Angeles. Where do you need to get back to?"

"I'm from-"

She paused, suddenly suspicious of the stranger in the woods. She had no idea who this person was, and was in no way positive that she could trust him or her, whoever it was. For all she knew, they really could be a spy for the government, or even a card soldier. This could be a trap, after all. She had to be careful when making her next move.

"Why don't you come out of the woods first, before I tell you anything else?"

"Okay, that's fair enough."

She kept her hands hidden behind her back, preparing to run away or even fight for her own life if she needed to. After all, she had no idea of who this person could be. She could be facing her own killer in the next few seconds.

A strange sort of fear rose up from inside of her, one that she had never experienced before. In an effort to hide her trembling hands, she clenched her fists tighter and took a deep breath. She would survive this. She would get out alive. She had to escape this twisted world. There was no other option.

To her surprise and relief, a boy about her age stepped out of the darkness of the woods and stood facing her. He had long, spiky light brown hair that framed his face, and pale green eyes that sparkled with a certain human quality that she hadn't seen in any of the other inhabitants of this strange new place. Like some of the others, he was wearing a wrinkled gray suit, and his hands were shoved in his pockets. He looked up at her from the light blue grass of the forest floor, shyly smiling at her in a way that few others had.

"I think it's time we properly introduce ourselves," the boy chuckled, extending his hand to her in a friendly gesture. "I'm Dash."

She graciously took his hand. "I'm Alice, which I'm sure you already know," she laughed nervously.

"Yeah, just about everyone in the whole city knows about you. You were the first one to breach security in this place. I guess I should congratulate you."

She cocked her head curiously. "What do you mean by 'breach security'?"

He chuckled again, disconnecting their hands. "This entire world is protected by a barrier of sorts that is designed to keep out all foreigners. The people who live here don't take all that kindly to strangers, you know."

"What, may I ask, is this place?" She took a step backwards, eagerly awaiting his answer.

"This is the center of the world, just outside the card palace. This planet... well... it doesn't really have a name. Most people call it W7, though."

"Really?" She wanted to hear more about this world, but she had one important thing to take care of first. "Anyway, can you get me back home?"

"Yes. Where do you need to get back to again?"

She chuckled nervously. "Sorry, I forgot to tell you. I'm from Oxford."

"Oxford?" Dash's brow wrinkled in confusion. "Where's that?"

"It's in England."

"Ah." He grinned at her. "A Brit, eh?"

"Can't you tell by my accent?"

He sighed, shoving his hands back in his pockets. "I- uh- haven't been to Earth recently. It's- um-" He scratched his head with his left hand. "Been a while."

"I see." Her nervous smile began to fade as the grim reality of her situation started to sink in. "Can you still get me back home, though?"

"Yeah, I can. Oxford, England, right?"

"Yes."

"Cool. Just wait a second." Dash closed his eyes for a brief moment, reaching for her hand and pulling her close to him. She couldn't help but to blush as their bodies made contact for the first time.

"Okay. I've got it. You ready?"

She took a deep breath and closed her own eyes. "Yes, I'm ready."

"Here we go. Ari n'choi."

A light breeze ruffled her hair and prickled the skin on her arms, making her shiver slightly from the cool sensation. A soft ocean blue light enveloped their bodies, prompting Alice to close her eyes to avoid being blinded. All of a sudden, the ground seemed to disappear beneath her feet, and she gripped Dash's hand tighter, as if he would keep her from dropping down into the unknown. He squeezed her hand in reassurance, silently telling her that everything was going to be all right. In that instant, when she felt him squeeze her hand, she was no longer afraid of falling.

The wind stopped blowing through her hair, and the sensation of flying through the air vanished. Alice opened her eyes then, and was somewhat surprised to find herself standing right in the backyard of her home.

She turned to look at Dash, who was still standing right beside her. "Thank you so much!"

"It's nothing." He smiled in a strange sort of way, prompting her to ask him what was wrong.

"Why do you have that funny look on your face?"

His smile vanished. "It's nothing."

He allowed a few moments of silence to pass between them before he spoke again.

"I should really be getting back to the card palace before they start missing me too much, if you know what I mean."

Alice's stomach turned at the very thought. "All right then." She waved at him in farewell. "Goodbye!"

His smile returned out of the blue, startling her. "Don't be so quick to say goodbye. I'll be seeing you again in the near future. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you're back within W7's boundaries within a few days."

"What?!" The choked cry caught in her throat, causing her entire body to feel as if she had just been set on fire. This wasn't supposed to happen. No, no, she was supposed to escape that strange planet and then come home for good! She had no intention of returning there, especially not when the government wanted her head on a silver platter! What was Dash possibly talking about?

He shrugged casually, taking a few steps backwards. "You're a special girl. I helped you get home this time, but next time it'll be a lot harder than that. They want to recruit you."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "You mean they want me to become a citizen?"

"I think so. That whole 'off with your head' business was just a test, you know. They want to see if you'll be any good for the world." Dash said in an oddly vague way as he shoved his hands back in his pockets. "I've really gotta go. See you later, I guess."

Alice waved again, halfheartedly this time, just as Dash disappeared from her sights. She turned, beginning to walk towards the tree where she had been sitting earlier in the day. In her mind, she went over Dash's words, trying her hardest to disregard them. Despite her best efforts, she could not ignore the sinking feeling that she felt washing over her.

 **AN^2: Please let me know what you think so far!**


End file.
